Pork galbi & pig's skin at "Choi-deh-po" restaurant (Gongdeok, Mapo)

It's been a very cold winter in Korea.  It's not such a bad thing because it gives you a very good reason to sit in front of a hot grill as you warm yourself - a mini fireplace right in front of your face - while meat grills away~ the sound, smell, and warmth...  sounds pretty perfect for a -15 C or 5 F night.

Mapo-Naru - traditional Korean food & makgeoli restaurant

We headed to MAPO-NARU in Mapo for our adieu 2012 dinner.

This restaurant serves traditional Korean food from "jeon" to "spicy Korean chicken stew".  It was my first time there and I've only heard good things about this place from my hubs who frequent this place with his buddies for makgeoli.


We ordered the "hong-uh" (skate fish) and "bossam" set and "gool-jeon"(oyster-pancakes). 

They served the basic side dishes and "dwen-jang" soup for each of us.

a richer "dwenjang" side soup - a tad bit on the salty side

We got their "house" makgeoli - I can't recall what it was called.. 

makgeoli - sweet and rich

School Food (food court at Emart - Gongdeok)

There's something special about our combo that we get when we're hungry in Emart.

We've been getting this exact combo of food in School Food for "snack" - never for dinner or lunch.  We claim to just want to nibble on something, but we always end up with "nengmyun"(cold noodles) and "#2 mari" (spam & egg roll kimbap!).

perfect nengmyun........ I think I'm drooling now

Their nengmyun is just too good to skip.  It has the perfect spice and flavor - it does get pretty spicy at the end - but worth the little burn!  If you like nengmyun, this one is too try!  About 7500won.

spam & egg roll kimbap......perfection!

Spam and eggroll kimbap......... do I have to say anymore?  This one is the one!

I did try a different one and didn't like it.  We're sticking to this.  It comes with a side of "hot soup" by the way.   About 7500won.

The two flavors - hot and cold - spicy and sweet and rich - is perfect to us :)

We'll always be back for more!

Kraze Burger - and this is...

chicken and salad on a bun - I don't remember the name.

Yes, this one is mine..

after these silly burgers - we stopped hitting the Crazy Kraze Burger joint.

after all - why mess with burgers anymore - I just want the real thing.

Vietnamese restaurant in Gongdeok station (Lotte Hotel arcade)

In really cold days or days when you just want a good bowl of soup and noodles - pho is the best thing ever.  But I haven't found one close to my favorite bowl at home. 

I love love love a good pho~

My old neighborhood back in the states had the best pho!

I haven't been to Vietnam to taste the real thing - so I'm a bad judge of this - but I still haven't found a good pho close to my favorite bowl at home.

The Vietnamese restaurant inside the Lotte arcade off Gongdeok station has decent pho - just average really.  The rice and everything else is so so, too.

When will I ever find my pho?   

Time will tell, time.

Kraze Burger - what is this?

throw back photo of a " _____ burger" from Kraze Burger.

sorry, I can't remember what this was called..

Not mine, but his.  

Who gets this monstrous burger with all the mix of flavors?!  only my hubs!;)

Kraze Burger fries

these were yummy

I'm not a Kraze Burger fan, but I can recommend their fries - garlic bits and sweet sauce

:)

Banh Mi (Vietnamese sandwich) - Noksapyung station

yumyumyum 

one my favorite Vietnamese munchies!


We found this Vietnamese restaurant around HaeBangChon (Noksaypyung area).  Was very pleased with the simple, yet fresh taste of this sandwich!

Trevia (pizza) - Noksapyung station (Itaewon area)

Even my Italian friend approves of this place!  yay~ for Trevia!

The best tiramisu in Seoul - Bistecca (restaurant) in Yongsan-gu

We received an email from a dear reader asking about where the best tiramisu is~!

Thank you for asking - because we can proudly say that Bistecca (restaurant) in Yongsan-gu has the most authentic tiramisu I've had in the city.

Yes, it's an Italian restaurant.  YES, they DO have the best tiramisu in Seoul!

It tastes like what my Italy-residing relatives would make, except not as nearly heavy on the liquor side~^^

a scoop of it - for a serving of dessert after dinner

ttokbokee - MUK SHUI DONA (Samcheong-dong)

Ttok-bok-ee.. however you spell it in English, is Korean of all the Korean food.

It's what pops up in my head when I think back from my childhood in Korea...I would save my 100won coins and get a "cup"(literally in a paper cup) of this spicy goodness - it was the perfect treat that was worth saving up for. 

It's a food reminiscent of childhood to most Koreans - still being enjoyed by grade schoolers to which continues to adulthood and on..

Oyster Rice (gool-bap) & many side dishes

Gool-bap literally translates to "oyster rice".   They say it is hard to find a good restaurant in Seoul that serves good a gool-bap.

However, we were lucky that our foodie friend showed us the real thing.



Here comes the side dishes~

Burger Holic - freshly made burgers to order

We're lucky.  We have a small lil burger place in our neighborhood that makes fresh burgers made to order.

No wait, no burger!

Appropriately named, Burger Holic, they do it right.

Bibigo - Korean Casual Food Restaurant Chain

We came across Bibigo while strolling around Jongno area.  We found the restaurant tucked in a corner of a big office building.  

Bibigo is a great start or introduction to Korean food for those new to it, or for people who want to eat a "nicely presented" Korean food.

an order of bibimbap comes with a hot & cold soup on a tray

sweet & spicy chicken - starter

makgeoli nights (Korean rice wine)

makgeoli(rice wine) & jeon (Korean pancakes) is like the ultimate "Korean pub" experience.

specialty-regional- makgeoli(on the left) and seafood jeon as our grub

There are plently of makgeoli and jeon places in the city.

On a rainy night, you will see these places with people packed like sardines.

It's a nostalgic thing to have makgeoli on a rainy day... kind of romantic, no?


I miss nights like these - it's been long over due!


The ultimate grub with makgeoli has to be, JEON.
With kimchi, seafood, or oyster.. actually anything will do!

By the time you have the eats and makgeoli, you will be fuller than you imagined.

A nice way to get your dinner & drinks ;)

BONGA - beef grill restaurant

My husband swears by BONGA.  He declares how good the meat is.  It is, it is, but it's sliced too thinly, like paper sheets which falls apart while cooking.  I'm the "steak-chunky-cut meat" girl, but my husband prefers the marinated delicate meat.

Market O - Italian & pizza restaurant

I don't typically prefer dining in "big chain restaurants",
especially for pizza and Italian food.

But Market O proves me wrong.

garlic pizza - yummy!!

Sushi Hyo - Japanese restaurant in Kangnam(Chungdam)

a meal here never disappoints.

"ma" salad

Kimchijjigae hot pot restaurants in Seoul

Kimchi-jjigae as in "kimchi-soup" is a staple dish in Korea.

There are actually restaurants that only serve this dish alone.
No other menus, just the good old kimchi jjigae.

They will usually just ask you how many orders you want.

Jeju black pig(pork) grill(bbq) restaurant - HEUK DON GA

HEUK DON GA is a famous restaurant known for its Jeju black pigs - pork.  They are by far the cleanest and tastiest restaurant that serves this special meat.

Jeju black pigs are highly priced for the taste and not many restaurants can boast about its authentic meat like H.D.G.

table setting all ready, except the meat~

yummy fresh side dishes